Becoming a Drysuit Diver

Bill Mitlehner   May 10, 2023

I’ve been thinking back to the first time I did a dive in a drysuit. I can vividly remember getting out of the water and realizing - Hey, I’m dry! Boy did it feel good not having to struggle out of my wetsuit and rushing to dry off. Oh and did I fail to mention that I didn’t get cold. That’s why we dive dry.

Diving dry is incredible but I also know that it can be very expensive to purchase and learn to handle the suit. So what comes first? Do you learn how to dive in a drysuit and then make your investment or do you go out and buy a drysuit and then learn how to dive in it. Either option is viable but you may not always have a choice.

The first option involves using a training or rental drysuit. That can sometimes be a bit of a challenge because drysuits and undergarments represent a substantial investment for the dive shop providing the drysuit. Additionally, there are many different sizes along with custom fit suits. Getting a rental drysuit that fits properly is also a hurdle. Because of these two factors, Scuba Shack has not been in position in the past to provide training drysuits. We are going to try to change that.

For those who are sure of their future in diving, they will elect to purchase their drysuit up front and then engage in the necessary training and practice to become safe and competent in their new exposure protection. For some they will select a custom made-to-measure drysuit with added features and functions. For others there are more affordable options with standard size suits with standard features and functions. The value here is that you get a drysuit and undergarments that will fit you appropriately and then you will be training in the gear that you will be using. 

Personally, I have always made the investment in the equipment up front and then took the classes and practiced with that gear. I know a lot of divers who also think like me and I also realize that others are more cautious in their investment and want to learn and experience the drysuit first. In the past our approach was that an individual would need to have their own drysuit and then we would offer the training. We are now in a position to change that. Scuba Shack is making an investment in several new drysuits that we will use to train divers in a drysuit. We have three new drysuits from Santi currently being made for delivery in late June. There will be three different stock size models featuring wrist and neck seals that can be replaced. That will allow for use to offer some customization for potential students. Now, these might not be a perfect fit for everyone, but we feel for most divers we should be able to accommodate training. Additionally, we have a couple of Diving Unlimited International drysuits for use in training.

In a past blog post I told you about a very affordable option of drysuit - Avatar. You cannot beat the value of this package. So, if you want your own drysuit upfront but are a little cautious on a large spend, then check out the Avatar. The good news right now is that they seem to be readily available through our US distributor, Halcyon. I got mine in one week!

As for the various models of the Santi drysuits we have ordered an Emotion Plus, an Elite and an Elite Plus. You’ll be able to take a look at all three and make an informed decision when you are ready for your own drysuit.

Scuba Shack is also a full line dealer for Diving Unlimited International. I have had two DUI TLS 350 Signature series drysuits. We still feel these drysuits are world-class. We will have a couple of these suits also available for training. 

Now, our plan is to offer the PADI Drysuit certification course in the summer. We have a dependency on our training suits being in-house and they are targeted for delivery in the late June timeframe. Once we have a solid delivery date we will get the course on the calendar and open for online registration. 

In the meantime, if you are interested in becoming a drysuit diver this year, please give us a call or shoot us an email. It will help us plan out the schedule. You can also take the plunge and order your very own, just come on in and we’ll discuss all the options.